Tech regents OK 'gateway program' for borderline students

Texas Tech regents approved a plan Tuesday that will let students who don't meet admission requirements live on campus while they spend a year in classes at South Plains College.

Tech president David Schmidly called the plan a ''gateway program.'' It will help build enrollment at Tech by bringing students to Lubbock who would otherwise go elsewhere.

Schmidly said the program would benefit students who fall a few points below Tech's minimum requirement for college admission test scores. Many of those students enroll in junior colleges or smaller universities in other communities and never transfer to Tech.

Gary McDaniel, SPC president, said the program will allow his school to gain about 200 students a year, which will benefit SPC through tuition, fees and funds provided by the state based on enrollment.

Students in the program would pay Tech for room, board and student activity fees.

''They'll be admitted at Tech, go to ball games, be a Red Raider, but take classes at South Plains College,'' said McDaniel. He said the students living at Tech in the proposed program likely would attend classes at SPC's campus at Reese Technology Center west of Lubbock.